


Forged Performance

by 3dnygma



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Amnesia!Ed, Angst, Ed has amnesia, First Kiss, Iceberg Lounge, M/M, POV Third Person, Past Tense, Post S3 Finale, frozen!Ed, seriously this is pure Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2018-12-19 00:44:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11886342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/3dnygma/pseuds/3dnygma
Summary: After being awoken from a cold slumber, Ed finds himself at the Sirens - which is now called the Iceberg Lounge. Due to having no memory of how he managed to get himself frozen, he is more than delighted to meet his best friend again. However, Ed quickly realizes that Oswald is hiding something from him and acting unusually different. And Edward Nygma hates being unaware of the truth.





	Forged Performance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Starsofgallifrey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starsofgallifrey/gifts).



> Dedicated to Ella for being such a wonderful beta-reader and everyone on twitter who gave me feedback regarding the plot <3 I hope you guys enjoy it!

Waking up, the first memory that came to Edward Nygma’s mind was the torturing and seemingly never-ending cold that had surrounded his body. It had entered through his arms, crawled over his shoulders and laughed into his terrified face. When? Why? He couldn’t remember. He wasn’t even certain for how long his blood had been frozen instead of liquid– and he hated to be unaware of it.

His body was wet and cold, although hardly as cold as in the ice block, and moving his stiff limbs turned out to be more of a challenge than he had originally expected. Ed decided to focus on his eyes instead, as his surroundings were too quiet for him to gather any information through his ears. Luckily, the lighting was superb. Light enough to give Edward’s eyes the possibility to explore the area, yet not too bright to blend him.

Due to these circumstances, it was frankly easy for Ed to determine his location: The Sirens. Well, not quite the Sirens – what used to be the Sirens would be a better description. The interior design had changed a lot, compared to when he had visited it for the last time. Said occasion had been the night in which Edward managed to expose Butch and his Red Hood act in front of Oswald and the most important individuals of Gotham City. Simply looking back to that memory managed to draw a smile on Edward’s face.

That one, however, faded quickly, as he came to the realisation that he must have been on ice for weeks, months even. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been possible to change the decoration to…blue neon lights shaped like umbrellas. And black penguin statues. What happened to Barbara and Tabitha that would make Oswald be in charge of the Sirens? Edward knew that Oswald used to run Fish Mooney’s former club for a limited amount of time. Nevertheless, he hadn’t thought that Oswald would come back to having a club – while being mayor of Gotham City, at least.

Too many questions, not enough answers. Those questions doubled after Ed heard one of the doors opening behind him, followed by two voices. One being familiar, one not quite as much. Ed was still sitting on the floor, too exhausted and shivering from the ice to stand up and head to the source. As the unfamiliar voice vanished, Ed heard limping steps approaching him. More than relieved, he sighed.

“Oswald.” He managed to state, his voice being more of a whisper. “Thank god.”

The Penguin didn’t say anything. He simply went up to Ed, kneeled down in front of him and replied with a strong hug, wearing an usually frigid expression. Ed was surprised at first, yet ended up returning the hug within a second. Oswald’s warmth was a true blessing for his soaked body and he ended up holding the other tighter than he would have under average conditions.

Oswald eventually let go of him, took Ed’s right hand and helped him stand up. Now, Ed was finally able to view the club in all of its extravagant glory. It felt like the Penguin’s castle more than the Van Dahl mansion ever could and figuratively screamed “Oswald Cobblepot.” The other noticed Edward’s stare and, for a moment, Ed thought that Oswald would say something about it. However, it seemed like Oswald changed his mind in the end, as he kept quiet and waited for Ed to start the conversation by asking questions. The mayor knew his chief of staff too well.

Ed started with the most obvious one. “Oswald, for how long was I in this…?”

Too impatient to await Oswald’s reply, Ed turned around and looked at the cold water that had soaked him. The floor was full of it and he noticed that, right behind where he had been laying, a giant and empty podium was located. Next to it, a black hat. His own hat?

Before he could spend another thought on it, Oswald’s voice made him turn around once more. “What was the last thing that you remember? Your last clear memory?”

That question was relatively easy to answer. “We were at the mansion, I thanked you for saving my life, we talked a bit and then went to sleep.” It was a very fond memory. His throat had been sore and it had made talking more difficult for Edward – but thanking Oswald had been his priority.

“I hope that you know, Oswald…I would do anything for you. You can always count on me.”

And he still meant it, truly. Every sentence, word, and syllable.

Oswald nodded, as if he had already expected that answer from Ed. “Well, Tabitha and Butch stayed hidden. Seems like they got contacted by some of Fish Mooney’s freaks and spilled some crucial information. You remember Victor Fries, don’t you? He was the one who...did this to you.”

Edward frowned. Surely, that was an explanation – but one filled with several holes nonetheless. He took a short breath. “Alright, but-“

“We’ll have time to talk about the details later.” Oswald announced with a slightly passive-aggressive smile. “I can assure you that everything is alright. You and I are not in danger anymore, Ed.” Edward suddenly felt like a child that was being lectured by his parent.

The Penguin added, “You must be terribly cold. There’s a bath prepared for you in Tabitha’s and Barbara’s former apartment.”

Right, there was one in this building, a few levels under the club. Ed loved the idea of taking a relaxing bath, yet he felt like Oswald was almost forcing him to. Besides, why was it already prepared for him? Damnit, he had to shake those thoughts off for once. Oswald was doing all of this for him and in times of trouble, he could always trust Oswald.

“Thank you, I’d appreciate that.”

And he did. The warm water and a certain bubble bath that smelled like pines managed to rehabilitate Edward a bit and cured him of the frostbitten temperature. As he stared at the perfectly clean white floor next to him, his mind started to wonder. It seemed like he wouldn’t get rid of all those nagging questions anytime soon. Oswald hadn’t only prepared a bath for him, but also one of Ed’s suits for him to wear. The one that he had worn at the Mayor’s party, to be exact. Ed quickly put it on and attempted to style his hair a bit in order to prevent it from becoming too curly, then went back to the Club, where Oswald seemed to have been waiting for him.

“Now, my friend, let me show you my pride and Gotham City’s newest establishment: The Iceberg Lounge.” Oswald stated while grabbing Ed’s shoulder and leading him through the place. Ed quickly understood Oswald’s pride, the place seemed quite inviting, yet at the same time noble and cool.

Edward smiled, his eyes still scanning the decorations. “It must have taken quite an effort to modify the Sirens like this.”

Oswald countered with a nod. “Right, it took us about three months in total. Do you like it?”

So Ed had managed to survive in the giant ice block for at least three months. From a scientific point, it was quite impressing to him – from a personal point, it was shocking to hear how many days of his life he had missed in what felt like a heartbeat. Like those coma patients you hear about in your everyday soap operas.

Despite his sudden distress, Ed nodded, marveling at the decor. “It’s beautiful. I couldn’t picture any other place that would fit you better than this one.”

That managed to flatter Oswald, as Ed spotted his cheeks reddening a little. “Oh, stop it. Let me show you the rest of the Lounge.”

And after they had walked around the area, Edward ended up staring at the empty podium again, questioning its sheer existence. Although Oswald was staring into a completely different direction, Edward had the strange feeling that the other knew exactly what he was thinking about and reacting before Ed might be asking any tricky questions.

“And that’s it! By the way, you must be hungry after all that time in the ice.”

Ed paused. “I…actually am hungry. But there is something that-“

The Penguin moved his pointy finger. “Promise, I’ll explain everything to you tomorrow. But for now, you need to relax and gain some energy. You should know that physical health is just as important as problems that might be bugging your brain.”

As Edward realized that there wasn’t anything that he could do about it, he nodded. It made him shut up but, as they walked to the dining room, he kept wondering. Oswald was attempting to keep something secret from him and Ed didn’t like it at all. He also hated feeling like a soulless doll that was told to do exactly what its owner wanted. Hopefully, this strange behavior of Oswald was only happening due to the times that he had spent without Edward and how much he was worried about his best friend.

Just like every other part of the Lounge, the dining hall was simply impressive. A little too much blue and gold for Edward's taste but he could see where Oswald was coming from. And much to his surprise, the table was already filled with a remarkable amount of dishes. Meat, pie, casserole – anything one could imagine. Calm music was playing and candles were enlightening the room.

It was strange, comparing this dinner to the Take-Out that they had ordered back when Oswald was staying at Edward’s apartment. How far they’d come. Ed gazed at Oswald and, for a second, they both smiled at each other. And once again, Oswald answered a question that Ed hadn’t even spent much thought on.

“I thought it was nice to have this just between the two of us.” That explained the fact that Ed hadn’t seen a single staff member since his awakening from the ice. In a way, Oswald’s effort was extremely genuine and something that not everyone would do for their best friend. Reacting to Oswald's suggestive gesture, Ed took a seat at the other end of the table and started eating. And God, how wonderfully tasty it was. He took some of the soup, then the chicken and some pie.

Words weren’t really exchanged, due to them both enjoying their meal. However, Ed sometimes had the feeling that Oswald was staring at him, as if he was expecting some strange reaction from Ed. At least Edward didn't feel like having his mind read anymore. After they were done eating, Ed noticed that Louis Armstrong’s version of La Vie En Rose had started to play, much to his own comfort; He had always appreciated that song in the past. And the Penguin seemed to notice Ed’s positive reaction, so why was he suddenly making a nervous impression?

Ed frowned after the other cleared his throat. “Oswald, is something the matter?”

Oswald took a deep breath. “…Ed.” A pause accompanied by a quick smile. “A man comes to a crossroad in his life and he has to make a choice.” While Ed was leaning forward, Oswald’s voice stiffened. “Does he choose safety and cowardice…or does he opt for courage, risk everything?”

What Oswald was saying had similarities with a monologue that an actor would practice for a play – or a project that had to be presented by some high school students. Something was bound to happen and Ed wasn’t quite sure whether he was ready for it. However, before Ed could even consider answering the Penguin's question, Oswald continued.

“I choose courage. What I’m trying to say is…the thing I have been wanting to tell you for a while now-“

“Oswald.” Ed tried to hide his emotions and state the following sentence as a fact, not fully managing to do so. “I know you – you’re my best friend. And I know it when you’re hiding something from me.”

For the first time today, Edward had said something that Oswald wasn’t prepared for. Instead of countering with a short excuse or shallow promise, he was speechless.

Ed used that pause in order to elaborate on his concern, standing up and walking towards his friend. “Almost everything that you’ve been saying today seemed…staged. And you’ve been avoiding every essential question that I’ve faced you with.”

Now standing next to Oswald and staring down at him, Edward raised his voice. “Something happened between that night at the Sirens and today, a puzzle that you don’t want me to solve. Please, I just want to know the truth regarding all of-“

And for the second time today, Oswald acted unpredictably. Because instead of standing up and talking to Edward face-to-face, Oswald grabbed Ed’s tie and pulled him down to him. The next thing that Ed perceived was the soft feeling of Oswald’s lips and the warmth that he had felt back when they had hugged earlier today. Only that this was different. More personal, more intimate…more honest. After a brief moment of surprise, he gave in and returned the kiss, suddenly realizing that maybe this was the way he had always felt about his best friend.

Eventually, he pulled back, taking a deep breath and gazing into Oswald’s wide eyes, his own voice sounding more like a whisper. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I love you.”, Oswald whispered back, excited and anxious at the same time.

And Ed remembered how they had stared at each other after Oswald had saved his life. How they had talked at the mansion later that night. How he had gone to sleep afterwards, not knowing where to place that subconscious feeling. It made sense now – and if the current conditions had been different, Ed would have had a more light-hearted approach to it. But this…this didn’t feel like an actual confession. It was rushed, like something that Oswald had to do right now, as if it wouldn’t be possible after this dinner was over.

And that realization confirmed his concerns. “What really happened between us, Oswald? If you’re talking about choosing courage, then do it. Tell me the truth.”, he asked as his voice gained more strength.

Finally, Oswald stood up in order to truly face him with a pained expression, covered in a chuckle. “You always end up asking those questions, don’t you? Is it so bad for me to want just a single day with you?” His volume increased, grabbing Edward’s arm. “One day where we can finally abandon our past and pretend that everything's perfect?”

The Penguin’s eyes got wet and Edward was overwhelmed by all these sudden events. Anger started hitting him. “So you’re keeping up this mellow show because you’re in denial and scared to move on? God, Oswald, I just want to know the truth!”

Within seconds, they were screaming at the other, neither of them wanting to give in. Maybe that’s why something like a romantic relationship between them could only work in their own fantasies. Maybe they were both incapable of true love.

Suddenly, Oswald’s screams turned into one single word. “Help!” And quickly after, Ed heard steps approaching him from behind, just like those he had heard after waking up. His body started shivering, which seemed to be a mix of the slight change in temperature and the subconscious feelings that something was coming to get him. But instead of turning around, he kept his eyes fixated on Oswald, who was suddenly giving into sadness again.

“I’m sorry, Edward.” After he whispered those last words, sounding similar to a death sentence, he pushed Edward as far away from him as possible. Before Ed could turn around and face the true danger behind him, he heard a peculiar, mechanic sound and, all at once, it hit him again: the freezing pain and pure darkness.

Wiping the tears from his face, the Penguin watched the procedure – and once Edward Nygma was fully frozen again, he sighed, then looked up to Victor Fries.

Worried, Victor disclosed, “Two more minutes and he might have killed you.”

Even though Oswald wanted to let his anger out on Victor, he knew that it wouldn’t profit either of them. “I know…thank you.” He took a deep breath, looking at the floor. “I managed to get so far today, there must be a way to keep him satisfied until-“

“Until you can fall asleep next to him, then freeze him and say goodbye for good?”, Fries inquired, then added. “This has been the fifth time within two months, he might not survive the next procedure.”

“Don’t worry, it will be the last time.”

Victor sighed. “Just like today was supposed to be the last time.” And quite surprisingly, he added, “Just admit it to yourself, you’re nothing better than a junkie who’s telling himself that this is going to be his final shot. He’s going to die before you’re going to end up having your perfect day.”

Gritting his teeth, Oswald replied, “Then I suppose he’ll have to.” He didn’t care if it meant risking his own or Edward’s life. Or whether it was even possible to share a positive outcome with Ed without telling him everything about Isabella and their hellish circle of revenge. He would try again, make more preparations and learn his lines like a professional actor.

Because he was the performer – and Edward Nygma, having amnesia with each awakening, was the audience. And Oswald Cobblepot wouldn’t stop until he could satisfy the audience with a forged, yet pleasing, performance.


End file.
